White Moon Saga  Part III
by Gizen-Hime
Summary: As a last resort, Black Lady uses her powers to resurrect the ancient spirit of the Millennium Ring.  Meanwhile, the White Moon Clan continues searching for their future prince.
1. Contract

**Chapter 1: Contract**

Dark brown eyes slowly opened. These eyes observed its surroundings: nothing but fog. Everywhere they looked was fog, fog, and more fog.

After some time, the person who just awoke realized that they were laying on their stomach. Bringing their hands to their sides, they bent their arms and pushed themselves up. Their vision, even after being conscious for some time, was still a bit blurry.

_Where am I…?_ the person asked to himself angrily. He stepped forward a step, and then another and another. At the very least, he had hoped to see something other than fog. But nothing but the stuff was there.

Angered, the modernized version of the ancient Thief King's spirit attempted to fold his arms but couldn't. The needles on his Millennium Ring, an item seeped in darkness and lay dormant for three thousand years, were pointing at something.

Puzzled, the spirit took the ring off of his neck and watched the needles find the source of energy and watched them point to the source. Looking up with his eyes, the Ancient One was now curious.

_The Millennium Ring only reacts if there's either another Millennium Item or a massive amount of darkness_, he reminded himself. _I hardly doubt it's a Millennium Item…that would mean-_

His thoughts were interrupted by something; the needles had dropped. Blinking, the spirit looked up and saw a beautiful young woman, sitting in mid-air.

Her sleek, ebony dress danced to and fro in the air. Under the dress was a semi-transparent brown shirt. On her neck, the woman wore a black chocker that was adorned with white jewels (the bottoms of her sleeves matched this item); her ears bore black diamond-shaped earrings. Around her arms she cradled a pink sash.

Her overall physical appearance was what hypnotized the spirit more. The woman in front of him had very pale skin, like he did; she also had light pink hair, tied in pigtails which were held up by rabbit-eared shaped buns. In the middle of her forehead, a black, upside down crescent moon lingered. Her lips were covered with a medium red lipstick, and her crimson red eyes watched him as he returned the necklace he was carrying around his neck.

"The ancient Thief King…" she introduced, her voice a chilling beauty. "It is an _honor_ to finally meet you."

"Who are _you_?" he demanded, an icy tone in his voice.

Smiling, the woman responded, "I am Black Lady, leader of the Black Moon Clan. And I have something that may suit your needs and interests."

Snickering, the spirit retaliated, "What could you _possibly_ have that I would want from you?"

At this, Black Lady narrowed her eyes and pointed at him.

"I can give you life again. For after all…you're _dead_."

"Of course I'm dead. I've _been_ dead for over three thousand years," the spirit sarcastically replied, folding his arms to his chest.

Seething, Black Lady yelled back at him, "Not _that_ type of dead. Where do you think you are right now?"

"I have no clue; I just woke up," was the Ancient One's response.

"Well, if it helps, you're in a place that is known as _limbo_."

"Lim…bo…? What's _that_?" The sprit cocked his head to the side a little bit: he was Egyptian, and therefore, would not know of the religious idea of the existence of limbo.

Looking away for a moment to peak at her nails, Black Lady began the short tale.

"Limbo is the place where unguided souls start their existence in the afterlife," she explained simply. But she had no idea of she had just caused. Looking back over at the man in front of her, she saw that the spirit's expression went from a cool demeanor to pure rage.

"The _afterlife? _How did I get _here?_" he needed answers. And _now_.

Surprised, the Dark Queen asked, "Don't tell me that you don't _remember_."

It all happened in mere flashbacks:

The God of Darkness, Zorc Necrophades, being destroyed by Pharaoh Atem and the Egyptian Goddess Horakhty…

The spirit clutching his chest as his heart stopped beating and collapsing…

The swift and silent world of the darkness cradling his soul once again…

Gasping, the spirit blinked his eyes in shock. He had lost the Ultimate Shadow Game. He _should_ have been abolished, like Zorc, but somehow he still existed.

"How is it…" he asked softly, "that I…?" Looking over at Black Lady, the Ancient One saw that she was smiling.

"Don't you remember?" Black Lady cockily questioned. "You sent a portion of your soul into that world and fought against the vessel of your enemy. But because the shadow lost the duel, it was _assumed_ to be destroyed. However…" she came down from her high and mighty place in the sir and landed swiftly onto her feet, her red high-heels making noise as she did so.

"The one piece of your soul was just part of the _game_; and to some degree, was simply that: a _game_."

"What are you saying…?" the spirit asked curiously.

"That portion of your soul was never destroyed at all; it was just sent here. Like I said, it was in _that _world, and that world doesn't really exist."

"So I…was never even destroyed, now was I?" Things were starting to make a little more sense now that Black Lady had cleared it up. But what still bothered him was what her purpose was of being here, in limbo with him.

Shaking her head, Black Lady then extended her arm to her side. Watching her, the spirit saw her hand glowing the deepest black he had ever seen; it seemed even darker than oblivion itself, if that were even possible. That hand then protruded a long piece of parchment. Once the paper was free of her black aura. Black Lady lightly brought her hand in front of her body.

"This parchment is a contract, constructed for those of dark hearts," the Queen of Darkness explained, her crimson eyes sparkling with her words. "Under it, they become my beloved servants and are able to roam as they please. However, if you should try to veto your way out, consider yourself brought to the place you were destined to be…_hell_.

"Well then…" she asked calmly, "will you take my offer…?"

This was all so much to take in. Turning his back to her, the spirit of the Ring folded his arms, closed his eyes, and began to process this offer.

_If I accept this, I still have a shot to unimaginable power. Since Zorc has been destroyed completely, there's __**no way **__that he'll be able to return. But that doesn't matter: I'll seek vengeance for my __**own**__ destruction. _Opening his eyes, the spirit turned back to her and studied her face: it was an angelic smile…a very sinister, but angelic, smile.

"Why me?" he asked simply.

Not too surprised by the question, she replied, "You're a forsaken soul, like me. I…tend to feel a bit _sympathetic_ to those who have lost everything.

"Besides, you have _incredible_ power. _Untapped_,but incredible. I can awaken that force laying dormant within you…if you join me."

A dormant power within him…? He liked the sound of that.

After a moment's hesitation, he held out his arm in front of him, opening his hand as if he were waiting for her to shake it.

But instead, Black Lady took his hand in her own, and with her nail, pricked at the skin on his palm.

He was shocked to feel the pain and watch as his own blood flowed onto her nail.

Obviously noticing the surprised look on her new servant's face, she explained, "Here in limbo, the soul is given a physical state, which is why you feel pain."

Nodding, the spirit watched as she brought her blood-covered finger to the parchment. The paper absorbed his blood and created an "X". The paper then glowed blood red and disappeared.

Giggling, the Queen of Darkness brought her arms up with praise. "The contract is now in motion! Now…Thief King. With the power of the Black Moon, I invoke the powers of your aura!"

Feeling his heart pound in his chest, the spirit felt an unusual breeze come between him and his new Queen. Suddenly, a zircon-blue light surrounded his body, filling him with strength. He Hadn't felt this powerful in a long, _long_ time.

After a few moments passed, the wind began to dissipate. The zircon light that surrounded the spirit simmered down to a mere glow. Looking from his hands to his new master, the spirit asked, "So now what…?"

"Since you're going to be resurrected," Black Lady explained, "you're going to need to return to the vessel that you once dwelled in."

"Ryo Bakura…?" the spirit asked dully. While it was true that Ryo was his host body, that didn't mean that he liked him at all. In fact, he found the boy to be quite annoying.

"Correct," the Dark Queen replied. "You're going to dwell in his body and regain your strength. But since that Item around your neck no longer exists-"

"Wait a minute; the Millennium Items don't _exist_? But _why_?"

"When the pharaoh moved on to the afterlife," Black Lady explained, "the Millennium Items were then sealed along with him. When you return to the human world, your Ring will disappear."

Holding the Ring, the spirit actually felt upset; after all, his soul was trapped in there for three thousand years. It was his only connection left to his past life. But he had to move on.

"So if the Ring doesn't exist," he asked, "then how is it I will be able to control the boy?"

"_Memories_," Black Lady responded, emphasizing the word. "You see, you always possessed the boy without him knowing. So why don't you _share_ that with him? The more he knows, the more vulnerable he'll be for you to take over his body. That's your best bet; after all, ever since you've disappeared, he's tried to lock anything he could remember of you away in his mind.

"Now…it is time I left…and you began your return," the queen mused as she began levitating in the air. "And remember this: your vessel's destiny has been predetermined; he will the key to our victory…but it could also be our _downfall_."

"And what does _that_ mean?" the spirit yelled up at her. But it was too late: Black Lady had already disappeared.

After a few moments of silence, the spirit chuckled. Then he erupted into a sinister laughter, his zircon aura blazing.

"It's time I make my presence re-known to the mortals," he deviously sneered. He then levitated in the air and flew upwards, ready to be resurrected.


	2. Unexpected Return

**Chapter 2: Unexpected Return**

As the power of his aura surged throughout his body, the demonic spirit rose up from where he was standing. The higher he got, the more faded away the Millennium Ring around his neck became. But that was the ring's fate: ever since it had been sealed away for eternity, its existence with the spirit was no longer present. This seemed to upset the spirit: the ring was his home for three thousand years, and without it, he felt…empty.

But there was no time for such a silly thing like attachment to an inanimate object: the dark spirit had work to do. Looking up, he saw the night sky for the first time in a long while.

The moon was not in plain view; therefore, it was must have been the start of the moon's cycle. The sky was a vast shade of navy blue mixed with ebony here and there. The clouds, a shade of ash gray, were scattered across the midnight sky.

Sighing, the spirit smirked a little bit. Seeing this view was better than the foggy world that he once resided in. Looking to the side, he could see a building in the distance with the letters "KC" on them.

That could only mean one thing: the ancient Thief King had returned to Domino City. Chuckling, he began to fly at a high velocity toward his M.O. But because he was nothing more than vapor, he could feel the wind go through his body. If he could shiver, he would have. But he couldn't, and he didn't let this bother him.

As he flew around, he could overhear a couple of third-shift workers talking outside. They stood in front of a business building and they were both smoking cigars. Overhearing the men, the spirit was able to learn that it had been about a month since he was last on this earth.

_Has it really been __**that **__long_? _Then again, I've been dormant for most of the time,_ the spirit shockingly thought. _But no matter; I have business to attend to._ With that note lingering in his subconscious, the spirit flew onward.

After what seemed like an eternity, the ancient Thief King's spirit had reached an apartment building. If he remembered correctly, his former host lived on the seventh floor of this building. Hovering around that area, he looked through each and every window until he finally found the room he was looking for.

Bracing himself, the Ancient One's essence flew in through the closed window and into his former vessel's home. Everything looked the same as it did a month prior to his near-death experience. Looking over at a particular door, he noticed that the door was left open a crack.

Going through the door, the spirit saw that he was now in a room. But it wasn't just any room; it was…

_Bakura's room…Ryo's. _Smirking, the spirit hovered beside the boy's bed and looked at the boy sleeping silently in front of him.

In the one month that he had been gone, the spirit noticed that absolutely nothing looked different about Ryo. He still had the child-like face (but it was _definitely_ more mature than Yugi's, there was no doubt about that), white hair that practically reached half-way down his back, and skin as white as alabaster.

_Now.._ the spirit pondered. _According to that __**woman**__, the boy has tried to lock anything related to my existence away. Humph; there's no way to escape the darkness. It's futile to try. _

_ In any case, it's time to make my presence known._ Laughing demonically, the Ancient One flew inside the boy's body, ready to make his resurrection a success.

* * *

The evening sky cast a full moon upon the world. But instead of the moon being white, it was blood red. Thunder raged this way and that, dancing around the starless sky. People were running around like it was the end of the world, screaming with shrieks of terror.

Amongst the crowds of people, Ryo was running for dear life. He didn't have a clue as to why, but he felt like something was wrong…_very_ wrong. As he ran, an evil laughter filled the sky. The tone of the sound sounded very familiar, but Ryo was too nervous to think about it. Running through the crowds, the young man made his way into an alleyway.

Gasping for breath, Ryo leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

_ **What** on **earth** is going on here?_ he nervously thought to himself. Suddenly, the laugh returned. Feeling his heart jumping in his chest, Ryo opened his eyes and got off of the wall. Looking down the alley, he saw a building that looked familiar…

An abandoned church lay in his sights, the valiant cross hanging high above the citizens who once prayed there. It was the perfect place for Ryo to run to; once there, he was granted sanctuary, regardless of the presence of a priest.

Running once again, Ryo's muscles began to ache from the amount of strain he had put on them. But he had to keep moving forward.

After running a few blocks, the child had reached his destination. Huffing for air, he slowly pushed open the large wooden doors in front of him. Still breathing heavily for a bit, the white-haired boy walked inside the reception hall.

Everything about this place seemed so familiar to him: the stained-glass windows, the organ pipes…even the _aisles_ looked exactly the same.

"This place…" the boy questioningly noted, looking around at everything. "Why does it seem so _familiar_ to me?"

Suddenly, the dark laughter returned for a third time. It was followed by a taunt: "Oh, come now; don't tell me that you've already _forgotten_ about what transpired here."

Blinking, Ryo slowly turned and widened his eyes in fear. He saw himself. But it wasn't really him at all.

Walking forward from the entry of the church, the dark spirit took the form of his vessel when possessed: a matured face, which made his eyes look more narrow; the same hair length, but with pieces of hair that stuck out off the sides like wings; a long, black trench coat, open to reveal a blue-and-white striped shirt; a pair of white jeans and navy sneakers. Most of these articles of clothing could be found on Ryo's body, except of the coat: instead, he wore a long, light blue button-downed T-shirt, which was completely left open to show _his_ striped undershirt.

The spirit's gaze was locked on to Ryo's body, and he was grinning demonically.

Shaking with fear, Ryo pointed a shaky finger at the one in front of him. "Y-_you_…" he started, his voice carrying the note of fear with obviousness. "It…it _can't_ be-"

"Oh, but it _can_," the spirit mused. "And it _is_. You see, I've come back from the world beyond after nearly experiencing destruction from your little friends."

"What does _that_ mean?" Ryo was completely afraid beyond a doubt; this…_monster _had caused him a lot of grief and suffering. And now he all of a sudden came back from the dead?

"Didn't you just hear me? _I never died_; at least, not _completely_. But I don't have time to explain this to the likes of _you_; after all, I have a _purpose_ for you."

Gulping, Ryo knew what the man in front of him was talking about; prior to the events that occurred a month ago, the man in front of him would take over his body against his will, and sometimes, without him even _knowing_. The fact that he could do that was horrifying enough, but for him to come back and do it again? That terrified Ryo.

Laughing nervously, he remarked, "There's no reason for you to use me anymore; the Millennium Items are _gone_."

"Oh I'm aware of _that_," the spirit mocked. "But I don't _need_ the Millennium Items to get the power that I desire; there's a _new_ source that I'm after, and from what I hear, it's equivalent to that of the Items themselves; if not, it's even _better_." The spirit had no idea why he was saying this: he didn't know of anything more powerful than the Millennium Items, but something told him that he should say it.

Hearing the spirit laugh, Ryo could no longer stand. He fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around his body. He couldn't even _speak_, he was that afraid. But he did look up at the spirit, whose arms were stretched out at his sides.

The newly-awakened zircon aura was blazing around the spirit's body. With his power, he broke the windows and brought the shards directly to him. With a swoop of his right arm, the shards swam from his body directly for Ryo's.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Ryo awaited the end. But after a few moments came, nothing seemed to be happening. He slowly opened his eyes and gawked at the glass shards; they were inches away from his body and were just…_floating_ there. Seconds later, the shards fell onto the red carpeted aisle.

As the shards fell to the floor, the spirit flew at full speed toward Ryo. The boy had no time to react, for the spirit rushed into his body, sending him backwards into the organ pipes with a force strong enough to kill him.

* * *

Opening his eyes with shock, the young boy sat up in bed and panted. He could feel beads of sweat coming off of his forehead. Sighing, he ran his fingers through his bangs and looked over at the alarm clock on top of the desk next to his bed. It read that the time was 3:52 in the morning.

Getting his fingers out of his hair, Ryo threw the blanket that was on him off; he felt too hot after all of the sweating that he went through during his dream. He looked down at his body and observed what he was currently wearing: a black sleeveless top and red-and-blue plaid pajama pants.

Exhaling heavily through his nose, Ryo brought his legs up to his chest and folded his arms around them. He then brought his head down to lay on top of the arm that rested on top of his legs.

_What a __**nightmare**_, he thought worriedly, closing his eyes.

_Oh. You thought that was a __**dream**__?_

Opening his eyes sharply, Ryo blinked and clenched his teeth. The spirit's voice rang clear as day inside his mind.

_So that was no dream at all…?_ he shockingly thought.

_I'm afraid not_, the spirit replied sarcastically. _What happened in your nightmare was __**reality**__; I am indeed back inside of you, ready to posses you whenever I please._

_ But sadly, I can't right now, _he explained. _You see, since my Millennium Ring no longer exists, I can't use that as a means of possession. However, I have something **better** than that. But you won't find out about that until later on. _Laughing triumphantly, the spirit's voice faded out of Ryo's mind, leaving the poor boy alone.

Flopping onto his side, Ryo tried his best to sleep, but it was no use; even though the spirit was no longer speaking to him, his laughter still rang throughout the boy's subconscious, haunting him until dawn.


	3. Memories of the Unknown

**Chapter 3: Memories of the Unknown**

The alarm clocked startled and awoke Ryo from his lack of sleep. With weary eyes, he looked at the clock and saw that it read 7:30 a.m. Breathing out of his nose heavily, he grabbed his blanket from off the floor and flopped on his side. School wasn't for another hour, so he thought that he could get at least another ten minutes' worth of sleep. He then closed his heavy eyelids and fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

"And _now_," Katsuya Jonouchi announced, lifting a card from his hand, "I play my good ol' friend, the Time Wizard! Because of its effect, I get to flip a coin, and as long as I get the side I want, my little Baby Dragon will be able to turn into Thousand Dragon." Gently putting his hand on his desk, Jonouchi fiddled through one of his school pant's pocket and draw a coin from it.

He brought the coin close to his face and closed his eyes. After a few moments of silence, he pressed the coin to his lips and tossed the coin up in the air. For a few moments, the silver coin was completely airborne. But then it landed on the desk and span around.

Opening one eye, Jonouchi watched as the coin made its final decision. Sadly, the coin was not in his favor and it landed on the opposite side.

"Crap crap _crap_!" the dirty blonde screamed, running his fingers through his shaggy hair. "That is _not _what I wanted! Now I'm going to lose Life Points!"

Smirking, little Yugi Mutou, his opponent, finished the duel without a moment's hesitation.

"Since your plan didn't work out, you've left yourself wide open for my Dark Magician to wipe out the rest of your Life Points."

"_Noooooo! I lost!_" With that note of defeat, the dirty blonde plopped his head onto his desk and cried.

Tilting his head a bit, Yugi then looked from his closest friend to Hiroto Honda and Anzu Mazaki, two of his other closet companions. While Honda seemed rather content with himself, Anzu seemed a bit distracted. Possibly, with her own thoughts.

Leaving Jonouchi to sulk, Yugi approached Honda and Anzu. By the time he made it there, he had eavesdropped on a bit of the conversation.

"…so anyway, Anzu," Honda asked, cracking his knuckles, "what do you plan do to tomorrow? …Anzu? Are you even _listening_?"

"Huh…?" the brunette looked at Honda, oblivious to his question. From the corner of her eye, her azure eyes saw that Yugi had joined Honda and herself. From the look in Yugi's eyes, Anzu could tell that something was wrong.

Sighing, Honda asked again, "I was just wondering what you were up to tomorrow. I mean, Jonouchi and I were planning to hang out with Yugi in the afternoon. And well, I was curious to see if you'd be up to coming with us."

"That…sounds great," Anzu noted apathetically. "But I have stuff to do in the morning before school, and after that..." With her azure eyes, she looked at Honda directly in the face and asked him a sentimental question.

"Honda. Do you what day it is today?"

"Huh…?" the tall, young man asked. "It's…Friday, right?"

"That's _not_ what I meant. What happened on today's date a month ago?"

"Ummm…" Honda couldn't really figure it out right away. But when he saw Yugi and Anzu droop their heads down sadly, he realized what it was. "_Oh_…it's the one month anniversary of Atem's return to the spirit world. I forgot about that."

"I don't I _can_," Anzu replied, her voice cracking a bit. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she still missed the ancient pharaoh. It was more than that, but she didn't need or want anyone to know.

"Anzu, I…I planned on going, too," Yugi shyly replied, his cheeks carrying the faintest tint of rose red. "If you'd like, we could…go together. But it's no big deal if you don't."

Blinking in shock, Anzu thought that through. Maybe it'd be _better_ if the two of them decided to go together.

"You know, Yugi," she started, casting her blue eyes into his large, violet ones, "I'd like that. Thank you."

"Hey, no problem," the young Duelist Kind replied coolly, scratching the back of his neck. "And that way, the four of us can still hang out at my place. Right, guys?" When Yugi turned from Anzu to Honda, he saw that Jonouchi had joined the little posse. Watching the two of them nod in response, Yugi smiled and thought of something else.

"Huh…that's weird," he softly remarked. "Hey, did any of you see Bakura today?"

"Sorry, Yugi, but I haven't," Anzu lightly replied.

"Maybe he's sick or something," Honda suggested, folding his arms to his chest.

"Maybe, but I doubt it," Jonouchi threw in. "He hardly ever misses school…well either way, he's one lucky guy; _he_ doesn't have to be here preparing for finals."

What Jonouchi said was true: even after each and every duel that Yugi and his friends had entered, fought, and conquered, the time gap wasn't big enough for him to escape the world of the tenth grade. Final exams, at the time they stood, were only two months away.

"I hope he's okay," Anzu worried as the bell for the end of recess period began to ring. As the last of the bells rang, Ryo ran into the class.

Shocked, all of his friends ran to him. Once they were all there, they were able to see how horrible he looked.

His white hair was horrendously messy and his uniform, which was usually neat, was left in disarray. Under his weary eyes, the lightest trace of dark circles rested.

"Oh my _God_," Anzu breathed.

"Bakura! Are you okay?" Yugi worriedly asked.

"Do you realize how _late_ in the day it is?" Jonouchi asked, looking at him with concern.

Looking up at his friends, Ryo lightly nodded his head. "…I'm sorry, guys. I guess I lost track of time and overslept."

"Overslept…?" Honda asked. "Did something happen last night that made you miss half the school day?"

To that question he gave no response. How could he? He knew that today was Atem's death anniversary, and if he told them the truth, he thought that his friends may find what he said to be a joke. And a sick one, at that.

So he kept his mouth shut and watched as the teacher walked in. He was swift as he made his way from the entrance to his desk.

"Now, students, I'd like you all to-ah, I see we have a tardy today." At this, all of students looked over at Yugi and his little posse. Ryo knew that everyone was staring at him, and in response, looked down and blushed from embarrassment.

"Young man, I advise you to take the notes I'm giving you now and ask for the others on your own," the teacher bluntly instructed.

"Y…yes, sir," Ryo replied apologetically. Taking his seat, he then grabbed out his belongings and began taking the notes.

"And as for _you four_. This isn't a free-for-all; return to your seats." Almost a moment later, Jonouchi returned to his spot, which, coincidentally, was next to Ryo's. Looking over at his friend, the dirty blonde inspected him a bit, sighed, and returned to his business.

* * *

At long last, the final bells of the day rang. All of the student spilled out of Domino City High School with much vigor. Amongst them were Yugi, Ryo, and the others. The quintet was planning to head over to Kame Games, for not only was it Yugi's home, but it was the shop of his grandfather, Sugoroku. The group was led by Yugi and Jonouchi, followed by Honda and Anzu in the middle, and Ryo tagging along in the back.

From the back, the white-haired child could hear Jonouchi and Honda complaining about the vast amount of time and notes that preparations for the finals took up. While Anzu and Yugi were both explaining that it was necessary, the two nit-wits were persistent with the accusations. The bickering lasted for quite some time, but Ryo stopped paying attention to it after a while. The noise was drained out by his own thoughts. They were mainly focused on the events of the previous night: the horrors of his past returning to haunt him to the core.

As he tried to sort through different ideas of the outcome, he heard the familiar laughter…

In moments, a fierce wind enveloped his body. The freezing air sent chills up and down the boy's body. It blew around his mangled hair, along with the pieces of his uniform left unattended. To keep the wind from his face, the young man held up one arm and looked away and squeezed his eyes shut. Some moments passed and the wind died out.

Opening his eyes slowly, Ryo moved his arm and looked around as to where he was.

For some reason, it looked familiar to him. It was a dark corridor that was lit by torches that rested on the wall. On these walls were pictures, all of which looked like they were drawn in ancient Egypt. In front of him, he could see a picture hanging on a wall, but he couldn't tell of who or what it was.

Putting the schoolbag that he had held on to the whole time down, he slowly walked forward, one hand sliding against the wall as he did so. The closer he got, the more familiar the whole place seemed.

"I don't get it…" he softly spoke, his voice ricocheting off the walls of the premises. "This place…it feels like I've _been here_." Taking a closer look around, he still couldn't think of where in the world he was. Just then, he heard a voice yell in shock.

"This…this can't be!" the voice cried. Turning to the sound of the voice, Ryo was shocked to see who the voice came from. It was none other than Pegasus J. Crawford, the creator of Duel Monsters. Dressed in his formal red suit, the man was slowly backing up from something…or some_one_. Once again, he heard the laughter.

Walking forward, the spirit (while in Ryo's body) kept an icy smile upon his face. His attire consisted of a wool sweater with a green undershirt and blue jeans, along with the Millennium Ring on a rope around his neck. The closer he got to Pegasus, the louder his chuckle seemed to get. Once he was close enough, golden light radiated from both the Millennium Ring and the Millennium Eye, which was Pegasus' Millennium Item at the time.

The light was powerful enough to make Ryo once again raise his arms to his face. Looking away, he closed his eyes and realized that someone was speaking to him.

"You don't remember this at all, _do you_?" the spirit asked curtly. "That's because I controlled you at the time. This memory of mine has been altered, but nevertheless…well, that doesn't matter. But do you recall what I said about controlling you without the use of my Item?

"Well, memories are just as powerful; at least, I think they are. And with them, I can torture and corrupt any I chose to do my bidding. And of course, _you will_ be my first victim."

Suddenly, Ryo had no control of his body. He opened his eyes, which had suddenly become soulless and blank, and slowly turned his head to the spirit's voice. He just simply stared at the demonic being, unable to speak.

All of a sudden, Anzu's voice came from the back of his mind and the world around him was obliterated.

* * *

"…Bakura…? Ryo!" Gasping, Anzu ran to her friend's side. A moment ago, she had heard a thud from behind her. She was curious as to where the sound was coming from, so she had turned around. It was then that she saw Ryo collapse in a heap.

"Hey, Anzu!" Honda yelled, running for her and Ryo's unconscious body. "What…oh, _man_. Hey, Yugi! Jonouchi! You two better come quick!"

Watching as his two friends ran to him and asked him what happened, Honda shook his head. "Anzu," he asked, watching as she turned her head to face him. "Do you think you could carry our bags?" As she nodded, he then added, "Yugi, you take the lead and head for your place. Jonouchi and I will take care of Bakura."

"You got it," the youngster nodded, rushing away. Honda and Jonouchi then dropped their bags, allowing Anzu to pick them up. On Honda's command, the dirty blonde grabbed Ryo by the arms. As Ryo was being lifted, Honda crouched down.

"I'll carry him on my back. Just like Battle City," he explained as he felt the extra weight of Ryo's body on top of his own. Getting up, he looked over to Jonouchi. "Ready?"

"You know it," Jonouchi replied with a smirk. Anzu, who had been watching the whole time, nodded. The trio then headed for Kame Games with both determination and concern.


	4. Comatose

**Chapter 4: Comatose**

Rushing as quickly as he could, Yugi suddenly heard a voice in his mind. This voice was very familiar; almost like…

_Yu…gi…_it softly whispered.

Stopping dead in his tracks, he looked up at the sky. The voice didn't come back. Looking down, he lightly shook his head and kept running.

After some time, Yugi could see his grandfather sweeping in front of his store. Running faster, he finally reached Sugoroku. He was completely out of breath, so he had to catch his breath first.

Shocked, Sugoroku dropped his broom and pat his grandson on the back. "Yugi, my boy!" he worried. "Are you alright?"

"I'm…" Yugi huffed, slowly gaining his breath back, "okay." Standing up straight, the young man had overpowered his grandfather's height by a couple of inches. In the time gap from Duelist Kingdom to now, Yugi had gained at least two inches; possibly three. As he gained his breath back, the young man looked to his side and saw that his friends had been able to catch up to him.

Leading the way, Honda ran to Yugi and Sugoroku, leaving Jonouchi and Anzu behind. Breathing heavily for a bit, Honda greeted Sugoroku and explained the situation. By the time Anzu and Jonouchi had arrived, the old man had his arms folded and was thinking about what to do.

"Alright," he instructed the youngsters. "Bring Bakura up to Yugi's room; I'm sure he'll be fine with a little time to rest. If he doesn't wake up within an hour, we'll bring him to the hospital." As their response, the quartet nodded their heads and headed upstairs.

Sighing, Sugoroku picked up his broom and placed it on to the side of the shop. He opened the door and looked up the clear sky.

_That poor child…_ he thought grimly. _He always seem to be in need of medical attention, and-wait a minute…what's __**that**__?_

Squinting his eyes, the old shop keeper saw what appeared to be a young woman. But what shocked him was that she was _sitting in mid-air_. To make sure it was real, the old man blinked his eyes. To his surprise, the woman was gone. Bringing his head down, Grandpa Mutou was bewildered. Did he _really _see that girl, or was he becoming cynical? He didn't want to even consider that. Leaving his thoughts alone, he entered the shop.

Once the door was shut, the wind blew at an unusual speed. When it ceased, Black Lady was once again sitting in mid air.

_That old man almost blew my cover_, she angrily thought as she furrowed her brows and glared at the shop. But she didn't have time for that old geezer; she had work to do. Standing up in the air, she put her hands forward. Concentrating, her hands began to be enveloped in her pitch-black aura.

Smiling, she then closed her crimson eyes and focused her mind.

_Ancient spirit,_ she called telepathically, her voice a chilling beauty. _Come to me._

After some time passed, she opened her eyes and grinned. Within the perimeter of her aura, the spirit's presence existed. Her aura allowed her to see from the spirit's abdomen upward. While he didn't look too happy to see her, he paid his respect by closing his eyes and tipping his head down.

"You…wanted me?" he asked dully.

"Yes. I wanted to make sure you make it back in one piece. Which, from the sounds of those _mortals_, you did."

"I showed him one of my own memories, like you suggested," he told the Queen of Darkness, a bit of excitement in his voice. "And I think it's starting to work. I feel a bit stronger than I did before."

"_Good_," Black Lady remarked. She then turned her body in the direction of Domino High and allowed the spirit to look with her. In the distance, a small trail of smoke lingered. The smoke then became larger and darker and the smell of burnt debris began to linger in the sky.

"Do you see that…?" the Queen asked. "This is just one part of my plan. Soon the rest will fall into place…you'll see."

Watching the smoke wander around the sky, the spirit began wondering what happened. But then it hit him: the school was being burnt down. But how and why in the world would she do _that_? Surely she had a plan, but he assumed that would learn of the scheme later on.

"Now…" she beckoned, cutting off his thoughts. "It is time for you to return to the boy. Continue to show him memories, and in time, he'll _break_."

Nodding, the spirit then disappeared in wisps along with her aura power. When the last fibers of her power disappeared, she folded her arms around her body and watched the sky change colors, her mission accomplished.

_ Soon, everything will be **mine**,_ she thought to herself. At first, she let out a mere giggle, but then it erupted into a massive laughter that echoed across the sky. She then disappeared, her black aura leaving a small trail of power in the atmosphere.

* * *

Deep inside his subconscious, Ryo walked aimlessly through a foggy mass. He didn't have a clue as to where he was, but he had the oddest feeling of…_bliss_ envelop him. This feeling made him feel safe of the first time in a long, _long_ while.

That feeling didn't last for long, however; he felt like he was being watched. Suddenly, he heard a soft voice in the back of his mind. This voice didn't belong to himself, but it wasn't the spirit's voice, either. Rather, it was a female's voice.

_Don't worry, young Ryo_, the voice told him, making him stop in his tracks. _I'm not here to harm you. I'm simply here to meet you._

"Meet me…?" he softly spoke aloud.

_Yes…_ the voice replied, its seraphic tone dancing around the boy's thoughts. _I've watched you for a long time now. I know of your past, your current state, and your future. But don't worry; nothing can harm you here; in my sanctuary, you are safe._

"Sanctuary…?" Looking up, Ryo could now see that he was front of a large set of wooden doors. On the left door was a silver crescent moon, and on the right was a black, upside down moon. Looking up, he hoped that the doors were part of sort of castle. To his disappointment, these doors were the only thing here.

_ Correct,_ the woman's voice told him. _This world keeps all of my children safe. But beyond those doors lies the real world, and I can't help you there. So be on the lookout. That dark presence can harm you there. But don't give up hope, child; for every light, there is shadow. But that shadow can be extinguished by another light._

_ Now…_the voice concluded, _I leave you a gift. Learn to use it well, my son._

Suddenly, Ryo could feel his heart pounding in his chest and an unusual wind surround him. The moment he looked down at his hand, he saw a zircon blue light around his hands that extended to his arms and his body. Widening his eyes, the boy felt the last bits of wind blow around and watched the zircon turn from a blazing light to a mere shimmer.

"What…" he shakily asked himself. "What _is_ this?" Looking up at the doors again, he hoped a response. Sadly, he didn't get one. Sighing, his lowered his hands. With them, he grabbed the hinges of the doors and opened them. Before he went inside, he looked behind him, wondering if the voice would speak to him again. Closing his eyes with disappointment, he turned his head forward and began walking. As he did, the doors closed behind him.

Once inside, Ryo was left in the darkness. His only light was the zircon lightly blanketing his body. Looking forward, he could vaguely see a light at the end of the tunnel. Walking forward, he allowed the light to engulf his body and awaken his soul.

* * *

"…guys…? Hey, guys! He's coming to!" Ryo heard someone shout. From the sound of it, it was probably Honda. Fluttering his eyes open, the young man looked around him. Honda, Yugi, Jonouchi and Anzu were all surrounding the bed he was in. Each and every one of them looked relived.

Sitting up slowly, Ryo looked at Yugi and asked softly, "…what happened?"

"You passed out on the way home from school," the Duelist King replied worriedly. "Are you going to be okay? This isn't like you."

"I'm…fine," the white-haired boy assured his friends with a small smile. They didn't seem convinced, but they smiled back at him.

Before anyone could say anything else, Sugoroku rushed into the room.

"You kids!" he cried. "Come with me, and _quick_! Oh, this is _awful_!"

"Grandpa!" Yugi worried. "What is it?"

"Just come with me! And _hurry_! Running out of his grandson's room, the old man lead the way.

"I wonder what's happened…" Ryo mumbled to himself. Without a hesitation, he got out of the bed he was in and followed the others.


End file.
